Metal vapor condensing device



Oct. 18, 1966 D. M. PEPLINSKI ETAL 3,279,777

METAL VAPOR CONDENSING DEVICE Filed Oct. 18, 1963 PA'I'ICN'I' AGENT United States Patent 3,279,777 METAL VAPOR CONDENSING DEVICE Desmond M. Peplinski, Haley, Ontario, and Thomas E. H.

Hamilton, Renfrew, Ontario, Canada, assignors to Dommron Magnesium Limited, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Filed Oct. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 317,351 6 Claims. (Cl. 266-19) This invention relates to metal vapour condensers of the type which includes a removable sleeve in which the condensed metal forms.

Such condensers are employed in the conventional reduction process in which metals such as magnesium are produced. As indicated in copending applications, Serial No. 90,091, filed February 17, 1961, now Patent No. 3,207,495; and Serial No. 164,651, filed January 8, 1962, one of the serious problems incidental to the operation of these condensers is the tendency towards the occurrence of the condition known as hot crowns. This condition occurs when the rate of heat dissipation from the condenser is not sufficient to maintain the temperature in the condenser below the melting point of the metal being condensed, then, of course, a portion of the metal condensate or crown formed in the condenser sleeve will liquefy, run back into the reaction zone of the furnace, and be redistilled. Obviously, this occurrence overloads the condenser which retards the rate of vapor evolution from the reacting charge as well as yielding a liquid con densate that burns completely on opening up to the atmosphere thereby introducing operational difliculties on discharging.

It is an object of this invention to provide a metal vapor condenser sleeve which will substantially reduce or remove the occurrence of hot crown conditions in metal vapor condenser operations, which will permit the handling of larger condensates, and which will produce a better product for melting because of the partial melting that may occur during condensing.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which FIGURE 1 is a sectional side elevation of a retort in which is mounted a condenser sleeve in accordance with the invention,

FIGURE 2 is an end elevation of the cold end of the sleeve, and

FIGURE 3 is an end elevation of the hot end of the sleeve.

In the drawing, is a generally conventional retort having a furnace portion 11 and a condensing portion 12. The condenser is provided with the usual water jacket 13, vacuum connection 14, and removable cover plate 15. A charge of briquets in the furnace is indicated at 16.

The condenser sleeve, in accordance with the invention, is indicated at 17 and comprises a pair of separable semi-cylindrical sections 18 and 19.

As shown, the sleeve 17 is adapted to be seated in generally horizontal position in the condenser with its inner end, i.e., the hot end, adjoining the furnace and its outer end, i.e., the cold end, adjacent the cover plate, section 18 being disposed as a top section, and section 19 being disposed as a bottom section.

A dam 20 is provided in the hot end of the sleeve and, as shown, comprises a pair of circular plates or discs 21 and 22, the peripheries of which engage the inner wall surface of the sleeve. The plates are secured as by welding to the bottom section 19 but are unattached to the top section 18. Preferably, the plates are slightly spaced from each other in the bottom section but are in engagement at the top thereof. This arrangement provides an effective heat shield. It will be understood, however, that only one plate or more than two plates may be proice vided. The extent of heat shielding required will be contingent upon the general design of the retort and the maximum volume of vapour to be handled in a given time. Each plate 21 and 22 is provided with a hole 23, 24 for passage of metal vapours. The holes 23, 24 are in registry and substantially entirely disposed in the top section 18. Top section 18 may be provided 'With a positioning lug 25 for engagement by the plate 22, i.e., that adjacent the furnace 11. Plate 22 may also be provided with positioning lugs 26 arranged to engage sections 18 and 19 at their lines of abutment.

The condenser sleeve is provided at its cold end with a vapour-retaining baifle 27 which comprises, as shown, a flat circularplate or disc. The plate 27 also has its periphery secured as by welding to the bottom section and is unattached to the top section 18. Section 18 is preferably provided with a semi-circular positioning lug 28 arranged to engage the outer peripheral face of the plate 27.

Preferably, the plates 21, 22 and 27 are slightly inclined (say, 5 to 15) to the perpendicular of the condenser sleeve axis whereby baffie and dam are in slightly diverging relation to each other from bottom to top to facilitate removal of the condensate which forms therebetween in the sleeve.

The sleeve 17 is preferably provided with a slot 29 in the bottom section 19 for the purpose and such as is disclosed in copending application of Desmond M. Peplinski, Serial Number 164,651, filed January 8, 1962. The sleeve 17 also has a hole 30in bottom section 19 for reception of a member for withdrawing the sleeve from the retort.

In operation, the darn 20 not only acts to prevent liquefied condensate from flowing back into the furnace portion 11, but it also functions as an effective heat radiation shield which tends to inhibit liquefaction of the condensate.

In a 24 retort furnace utilizing standard or conventional condenser equipment without the use of dams as described, there is an average occurrence of 20 hot crowns per month. A 24 retort furnace equipped with dam type split condenser sleeves, as described, has operated for several one month periods without encountering any hot crowns.

The following is the result of an actual test period of operation of a 24 retort furnace using condenser equipment in accordance with this invention on week .days (5 per week) and standard condenser equipment on weekends and holidays.

It will be recognized that use of a split condenser sleeve as described permits the provision of the fixed dam and baflle plates since the condensate is readily removed from the sleeve following removal of the top section 18 from the bottom section 19 and the plates attached thereto.

The provision of the dam as described permits the handling of larger condensates without occurrence of hot crowns. Examination of condensates produced with equipment in accordance with the invention indicates that partial melting of the condensate sometimes occurs during the condensing step but, of course, the darn prevents any run back of the liquified condensate. Moreover, the partial melting during condensing results in a better product for subsequent melting.

While dimensions of the device will vary within substantially wide limits, the following are given by way...

of example:

Inches Internal diameter of sleeve 17 Length of sleeve 17 21 /2 Diameter of openings 23, 24 4 Length of slot 29 10 Width of slot 29 2 We claim:

1. A metal vapour condensing device comprising a cylindrical sleeve having two unattached substantially semi-cylindrical sections each having longitudinally extending edges, one of said sections constituting a top section and the other of said sections constituting a bottom section, said edges of said top section being in abutment with said edges of said bottom section, a dam in said sleeve comprising a circular plate having substantially its entire peripheral edge in engagement With the inner surface of said sleeve adjacent one end thereof, said plate having a vapour passage opening therein disposed in said top section, substantially the entire portion of said plate in said bottom section being imperforate to prevent liquefied condensate from running out of said sleeve, and a bafile in said sleeve comprising a plate adjacent the other end thereof, said plates being fixed to said bottom section but unattached to said top section.

2. A metal vapour condensing device as defined in claim 1, said plates being inclined to the perpendicular of the axis of said sleeve whereby they are in diverging relation to each other from said bottom section to said top section.

3. A metal vapour condensing device as defined in claim 1, said top section having positioning lugs thereon engageable with each of said plates.

4. A metal vapour condensing device as defined in claim 3,. said dam plate having lugs fixed thereto, each said lug being engageable with both said sections.

5. A metal vapour condensing device comprising a cylindrical sleeve having two unattached substantially semi-cylindrical sections each having longitudinally extending edges, one of said sections constituting a top section and the other of said sections constituting a bottom section, said edges of said top section being in abutment with said edges of said bottom section, a dam in said sleeve comprising a plurality of circular plates each having its peripheral edge in engagement with the inner surface of said sleeve adjacent one end thereof, each said plate having a vapour passage opening therein disposed in said top section, said openings being in axial alignment, and a bafiie in said sleeve comprising "a substantially circular plate adjacent the other end thereof, said plates being fixed to said bottom section but unattached to said top section, said plates being inclined to the perpendicular of the axis of said sleeve, said bafile plate diverging .from said dam plates from. said bottom section to said top section.

6. A metal vapour condensing sleeve as defined in claim 5, said dam plates being in spaced relation to each other in said :bottom section but having engagement with each other in said top section.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,594,348 8/1926 Bakken 266-l5 2,464,767 3/1949 Pidgeon 266-19 7 3,207,495 9/1965 Gibbs 266-l9 JOHN F. CAMPBELL, Primary Examiner.

L. J. WESTFALL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A METAL VAPOUR CONDENSING DEVICE COMPRISING A CYLINDRICAL SLEEVE HAVING TWO UNATTACHED SUBSTANTIALLY SEMI-CYLINDRICAL SECTIONS EACH HAVING LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING EDGES, ONE OF SAID SECTIONS CONSTITUTING A TOP SECTION ANDTHE OTHER OF SAID SECTIONS CONSTITUTING A BOTTOM SECTION, SAID EDGES OF SAID TOP SECTION BEING IN ABUTMENT WITH SAID EDGES OF SAID BOTTOM SECTION, A DAM IN SAID SLEEVE COMPRISING A CIRCULAR PLATE HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY ITS ENTIRE PERIPHERAL EDGE IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID SLEEVE ADJACENT ONE END THEREOF, SAID PLATE HAVING A VAPOUR PASSAGE OPENING THEREIN DISPOSED IN SAID TOP SECTION, SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE PORTION OF SAID PLATE IN SAID BOTTOM SECTION BEING IMPERFORATE TO PREVENT LIQUEFIED CONDENSATE FROM RUNNING OUT OF SAID SLEEVE, AND A BAFFLE IN SAID SLEEVE COMPRISING A PLATE ADJACENT THE OTHER END THEREOF, SAID PLATES BEING FIXED TO SAID BOTTOM SECTION BUT UNATTACHED TO SAID TOP SECTION. 